“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
-Matthew 7:9-11 (MSG)

I love Jesus’ words here. He says a humanly father will take care of his child’s needs, so a Heavenly Father most certainly would as well. If you need it, ask for it.

But I think there is a second point as well. Notice Jesus mentions giving a child sawdust or a snake instead. There’s no doubt that those things are unnecessary, so why in the world would he give us those? In the same way, oftentimes we are actually praying for “snakes,” things we not only don’t need but things that are ultimately not in our best interests. Despite our persistence, he does not give them to us, knowing that having those things will come back to bite us later on.

God is good. God is so good in fact, that he will not give me a snake even when I so desperately think I need one.

God, help me to realize the difference between praying for fish (your will) and praying for snakes (my will).